I've had several since 1999 but have settled on my beloved 2001 Litespeed Tuscany and my latest, a 2015 Cannondale SuperSix EVO carbon

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Two-sided clipless on the commuter and Look pedals on the weekend bike.

When I first started riding with toe clips and straps (in the mid-80s) I pulled up to a stop sign and had the straps too tight (I tightened them while riding). Couldn't get either foot free. You can guess what happened.
Naturally there were a few cars behind me. Seems that is always the case. I didn't bother to see who was laughing. Just got up and took off.

I used to not even count as miles ridden if I went out on my bike without clipless.. Just not a serious ride.( in my log) Can't put maxamimum amount of energy into it.. That is me..
My wife's bike, I use ocassionally for around town errands.. A hybrid... Used to have straps.. I hated those... Feel more restrained than Look pedals.. Plus I feel the pressure from straps atop shoes...
So I put "Power Grips' on her bike... I like those.. Pretty easy to get out.. Not as easy as looks, however- I feel... But I like the way they feel and have some sensation of ' pulling up' on the upstoke... If you do not like clipless, I would recommend Power Grips... When on the bike with Power grips and now log those miles...

The two bikes that I ride most frequently have SPD-R pedals fitted. I have two more bikes in the USA, one of which has old flat pedals, the other clips and straps.
Now that I'm used to clipless, I have to think when riding flat pedals otherwise I try to lift when climbing or accelerating...

What prompted the question? I can't believe anybody rides with straps and clips (I'm talking the little cleat that fastens on the back of the pedal) in this day and age. Not even the hard-core retro-dudes. They were a nightmare... no float, hard to get out of (you had to reach down and release the strap), the straps would put your feet to sleep, the list goes on and on.

As an old fart I didn't move to clipless until four years ago. Cannot believe I waited so long. My brain was obviously stuck somewhere in the past on this one. There is no comparison. Even for recreational riding.

Have to laugh at myself as I think about my first group ride in clipless. Rode up to a small group in front of me that had stopped to help a fellow rider who had a mechanical problem. Was to intent on same that I forgot that I was in clipless and stopped before stepping out. And fell into the group of them. A real "clipless moment".

I rode with DA SPDs for these past four years. Just up-graded to Campy Record this year and is a nicer pedal with a larger platform.

I was in the same mindset as Paramountscapin. 3 years ago I went clipless and only look back occassionally. I started with the Wellgo cheapie SPD's and figured that they would only last 6 months, but that would be long enough to determine if they were for me. I couldn't wear them out and enjoyed their service. 2 months ago I went to the new DA pedals. I liked them so much (wider platform, secure feeling, light, smooth) that I just put the Ultegra version on my old CAAD3.
Every so often, I jump on the 80's Trek 1420 and use the old track toe clips. They are okay, but once again, what kept me?

I still use toe clips and straps. I can use normal shoes for riding around town, waterproof shoes and boots for winter riding.
I never tighten the straps, if you feel the need for that kind of efficiency, you should be using clipless. Loose straps still give a lot of advantages over plain platform, in terms of keeping your feet safely on the pedal and in pedalling efficiency. I can twist my feet around for "float", and release my feet at a moments notice. Several times I have slid off, and managed to get my feet out during the slide (on ice,muddy 4x4 ruts etc).
You have to chose your footware with care. No-one uses the old-fashioned slotted cleat to keep your foot firmly on the pedal, but most leisure cycling shoes have horizontal ridges which hook onto the pedal cage. These are bad news, since they stop any float and prevent a swift exit.

Back in the old days (i.e., pre-1980), toe-clips and straps were the recommended type of pedal accessory. The advantage was that your foot fit into the pedal at the right spot. Without the clip, there was a tendancy to hook the forward part of your shoe against the back of the pedal so that your foot was too far forward.

Toe-clips and straps were used on many "race bikes" in the '60s, but not for the average cyclist. Many people felt trapped by the tight straps and just used the clips without the straps. However, the advertising etc. recommended the use of both to increase power by 10% from the foot that pulled up (as well as consistent foot placement on the pedal).

It was usually recommended to leave the strap loose while riding in the city, but out in the country (i.e., open road) you reach down and pull on the strap to snug in the foot. As you approach the city again, you would reach down and loosen the strap so you could easily remove your foot when you had to stop. It just took a little forethought. Personally, I never really had a problem in securing or unsecuring the strap.

I recently (Nov. 2/02) rode 200 km in -12C temp with clips and straps with no problems. However, I was urged to switch to spd clipless for the coming year. My new Trek has clipless pedals. So I bought some new shoes and a set of clipless which I have mounted on the bike attached to my wind trainer. I wanted to practice with them before I hit the road (so I don't actually HIT the road!).

I like the clipless because my cadence has increased by about 20%. I hope that equates to a good improvement on the road.

"Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed,
The dear repose for limbs with travel tired;
But then begins a journey in my head,
To work my mind, when body's work's expired"
-- Shakespeare Sonnet XXVII Click here to visit Motorera.com

I used to ride with clips and straps. I don't know what the hell I was thinking. The things are single-sided, toe-first entry-only, no-float, required after-engagement (if you can call it that) adjustment, either cut off circulation to be useful or allowed you to pull out too easily if left loose, hard to get out of... I could go on. It was like the worst of all worlds. Did I mention that I ran these things on my only bike... a mountain bike with rat-trap cage pedals... used for mountain biking? Like I said... I don't know what the hell I was thinking. PowerStraps were around for a bit during that time and in hidnsight, I should have used them instead. I switched to SPDs the year they first came out. I now ride with Time ATACs on my MTB (sometimes switching to platforms for certain types of riding) and Speedplay Zeros on my RB.

I'm amused that some bikes (typically in the mid-range) still come with clips and straps. I guess, manufacturers feel they make them look more serious. Personally, I would rather see the bike sold with platforms or cheap SPD-clones (these can't be that much more expensive than cage pedals with clips and straps can they?). If you want the bike to appeal to the more serious rider then I'd suggest selling it without pedals and knocking that bit off the price as clipless pedal preference is generally a personal thing since it sometimes involves shoe-selection too.

I have eggbeaters coming in the mail right now. My first venture into the world of clipless did not fair to well or last that long. I just bought the cheapest pair from nashbar and beat the crap out of them. Even with the lowest end stuff clipless is the best upgrade for any bike. Now I can't ride with out them.

I don't want to shop for yet another pair of shoes and I don't want to carry a pair of normal shoes wether I'm going to work or hiking when on tour. The straps are fairly loose so I've never had problems getting my feet out.